The Digital Communications Program explores the interrelated elements of communication, business, design, and computer science in a setting that emphasized user-centered design and usability testing. The program fosters critical reasoning, creativity, innovation, and problem solving so that graduates have the ability to evolve as quickly as current technology, Rather than focusing on specific applications and technologies, students in the program will complete advanced coursework in one of the four areas to form a concentration in business, communications, computer science, or design. The General Education Program at the College, together with the courses in the student's concentration, will expose students to the fundamental questions of how information is created, processed, understood, and communicated.
Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science with a major in Digital Communications
Theory and Research Sequence
This sequence provides you with the basic principles of the media, a background and
history of the field and the legal system, and the theories that explain why and
how audiences interact with digital media.
DCOM 130 Principles of Informat. Design| This class surveys the principles and practices of user-centered design (research/observation, design, prototyping, and usability testing), information design, information architecture, interaction design, interface design, and digital infrastructure. Website design will be introduced as a model for integrating the interdisciplinary components of the field of digital communications. |
| This course will examine the legal and ethical issues arising from the information age. Topics such as copyright, patent, privacy, security, libel, liability, and government regulation will be explored. |
| The course emphasizes planning, conducting, and analyzing usability tests. The course will teach the basic concepts of usability research and the practice of usability testing in a lab setting. Using the principles and techniques of usability testing, students will research the effectiveness of online and print documents, and physical objects, using video and digital equipment, with emphasis on rhetorical effectiveness and usability of information design and architecture, graphics, text, design, and format. |
Design Sequence
The design sequence provides a background in the theories and principles of layout
and design.
DCOM 255 Fundamentals of Design| An introduction to the fundamental elements of art and design. Students work with graphic symbols, theories of visual perception, principles of composition and color interaction in a variety of studio projects. |
| The course will focus on blending the creative and technical aspects of developing electronic images. Students will apply traditional art methods and techniques to the electronic canvas. Additionally, the course will serve to provide a historical perspective of electronic imaging and examine the limitations and possibilities of working in the electronic medium. |
Business Sequence
The business sequence provides a background in how digital media affects the business
landscape.
DCOM 265 E-Commerce| An exploration of the important technologies related to doing business on the Internet. Topics include e-commerce, advertising, customer support, and business-to-business applications. Emphasis on how businesses implement these technologies, resource requirements, cost-to-benefit analysis. |
| An exploration of the way businesses utilize technology to operate effectively. The course will focus on how businesses generate, manage, store, and distribute information that is key to performance of business objectives. Topics will include Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM), e-Marketing, and Business Intelligence. |
Communications Sequence
The communications sequences provides a background in designing and developing digital
media projects and professional writing.
DCOM 285 Writing for Digital Media| This course will provide students with the skills, theories of design and experience to design viable digital media projects that meet specific goals and target specific audiences. Offered fall semester. |
| This course will reinforce and build upon the design skills, theories and experience from Writing for Digital Media, and focus on the production and postproduction/development process. |
Programming/Authoring Sequence
The programming/authoring sequence provides students with an introductions to programming
for the web and a solid background in industry standard authoring programs such
as Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign, and Flash.
CSC 115 Programming for Applications| Topics include algorithms, data types, graphical user interfaces, objects, event handlers, and database programming. This course does not prepare students for more advanced computer science courses, but it does satisfy the core requirement in computer programming for Digital Communications majors. We will use Visual Basic. |
| This practical, hands-on course teaches how to use the authoring software Dreamweaver and HTML to create simple web pages and page layouts. Students will gain facility using web authoring software (Dreamweaver) and will be able to read and write effective, simple HTML code. It is a one-day-per-week, one-hour course that will emphasize completing daily assignments, in-class work, and quizzes. |
| This hands-on, one credit course teaches advanced uses for vector-based graphic authoring software, such as InDesign. Each class will meet once a week for one hour and require that students complete daily assignments, in class work, and quizzes. |
| This is a hands-on course that teaches students how to use authoring programs such as Flash to create basic interactive or dynamic objects. One day per week, one hour class that will emphasize completing daily assignments, in class work, and quizzes. |
Professional Sequence
This course sequence prepares you to enter your chosen field, emphasizing professional development,
work experience in the field, project management, and practical experience working
in a collaborative teams to solve the problems of local clients. The
year-long senior capstone sequences is the culmination of all that you will learn
in Digital Communications.
DCOM 099 Portfolio| A formal collection of the student's completed work to be presented before the DCOM faculty and students as part of the student's formal request to take DCOM 400 (Internship). The portfolio must be both in print and in an appropriate electronic form, include a resume, and contain examples of the student's work in both their concentration and the core. Typically taken during the fall semester of junior year. |
| This capstone course teaches the theory and application of planning projects in the field of digital communications. The course covers principles of project management, research, and project strategy. Additionally, topics of professionalism, client interface, modes of communication, and collaborative group theory and practice are explored. |
| This course is a practicum class where students work on a project for external clients. This course simulates the collaborative and interdisciplinary environment of the field of digital communications and emphasizes usability testing in the identification of a problem, in formative testing and prototyping of potential design ideas and summative testing of the final project. The course takes the integrative theory and skills from the four areas of concentration (visual, content, commercial, and technological) and builds upon the theory and application explored in the first Capstone course to develop a multi-disciplinary team of students to deliver an appropriate project. |